Brotherhood Broken
by Niger Aquila
Summary: Liam's thoughts as he confronts his old friend at the precursor temple.


A/N: Yes, Assassin's Creed again. This story is similar to Last Stand - my attempt of writing the Connor versus Haytham scene in AC3 from the other side's point of view. This time, it is Shay versus Liam.

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed.

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><p><strong>Brotherhood Broken<strong>

Liam could still remember the day he ran into Shay unexpectedly many years ago. He had just finished securing some supplies for the Brotherhood and decided to stop by a nearby tavern. There was a brawl going on, and even though he had not seen Shay in years, he had no trouble recognising one of the drunks as his childhood friend. Shay was in a mess then, having witnessed the deaths of his father and many of his fellow crew members when their ship was hit by a storm. It had taken Liam much effort, but he managed to get Shay back to his usual carefree self. Before long they were trading stories around campfires and hunting together again, as if nothing had changed despite the years they had been apart.

But not this time.

It had been almost five years since Liam had last seen Shay. He had always been close, Liam knew, chasing after them relentlessly and killing all those who stood in his way. And now, the time had finally come. He could hear gunshots echoing through the snow cavern as he followed Achilles towards the precursor temple. Shay was here, and this time, Liam would do what he should have done at the Homestead years ago. Unlike Chevalier, he would not miss.

He had tried to imagine what Shay would be like now, but there was simply no reconciling the man who was his best friend and the monster who had almost completely destroyed the Assassins. The Templars' hunting dog. That was what the others in the Brotherhood, or what is left of it, had been calling Shay. That, or simply "the traitor".

At first, Liam had blamed the Templars for manipulating his friend, taking advantage of Shay's obvious confusion over what had happened in Lisbon and at the Homestead. But he had known Shay since they were children, and he knew Shay was never one to be persuaded into doing what he himself did not agree with. For him to side with the Templars, he must have somehow come to appreciate their ways.

But how was that possible? Shay detested authorities as much as Liam himself, having grown up in one of the poorest areas in the city and witnessed how rich men abuse their wealth and power. That was why Liam had brought Shay to the Assassins all those years ago, and until that day at the Homestead, he had always believed that if Shay took his duty a little more seriously, he would make an excellent Assassin. Shay had been well on his way to be one, too. Eliminating three high-ranking Templars for the manuscript and precursor box was no small feat. Shay was ready; all he needed was a chance to prove himself, to show the others that he was capable and no longer needed to be watched over. And so when the map revealed the location of the precursor temple, Liam had asked to be sent on other missions instead of accompanying his friend. Locating the piece of Eden had been Shay's task after all, and he deserved to be recognised for it.

If he had been there with Shay in Lisbon, Liam wondered, would things have turned out differently? Perhaps, but there was no point in thinking about it now, not after everything Shay had done since he left the Brotherhood.

While they never found out who killed Le Chasseur at the French fort near Albany, they knew it was the _Morrigan_ that bombarded the fort that day. Shay was definitely the one who killed Kesegowaase, and according to what was left of the crews of the _Experto Crede_, Adéwalé as well. As for Hope... her single fatal wound was caused by a hidden blade, that much was clear. Liam knew there could be no one else, and yet he still couldn't quite accept that it was Shay who did it. Because if it was true, if Shay could bring himself to kill even Hope, then he must have truly become a monster, twisted beyond any hope of redemption.

"There it is," said Achilles as they entered the temple. The strange contraption at the centre of the chamber moved on its own, revealing an oddly-shaped structure that appeared to be suspended in the air.

Liam reached for it. "Is this the Apple?"

Achilles stopped him. "No, don't touch anything," he said, looking down at the artefact. "Shay was right."

"What would he know?" said Liam.

Shay knew more than them, apparently. This was not the Apple. All their efforts - all the _deaths_ - had been for nothing.

"Finally you understand, Achilles," came Shay's voice from behind them.

The first thing Liam noticed was the Templar insignia on Shay's clothes. The Cross, along with the presence of the Templar Grand Master, left no room for doubt about his new allegiance. And yet when he spoke, disrespectful and sure of himself as always, Liam was very much reminded of the man he had been friends with since childhood. But no, Shay looked different now, and it was not simply because he had tied his hair back or even because of the symbols on his clothes, but because of something else Liam couldn't quite pinpoint.

Shay continued to argue with Achilles and Liam shook his head. However noble his original goal might have been, there was no denying the fact that he was a traitor. How dared he act as if he was in the right when he had been slaughtering those who had taught him and helped him in the past?

"Right or wrong, Shay, you betrayed the Brotherhood, Achilles, and me."

"Says the man who shot me in the back," Shay retorted, as if he had the right to accuse anyone.

"At the Homestead? That was Chevalier." Liam pulled out his pistol. It was time to end this. Shay would die here, and he would be the one to do it. "I don't miss!"

The artefact fell onto the ground as Achilles tried to stop him, and then there was only chaos. The earth started shaking and everything around them began to crumble apart. Liam ran, followed closely by Shay, who managed to dodge all of his shots while still catching up to him. Shay's skills had grown immensely, it seemed, and really, Liam should have known this would not be easy. Shay was the one who killed Adéwalé, after all.

With everything falling apart, Liam could hardly tell where he was going. And he was so intent on bringing Shay down, especially after Shay admitted to having killed Hope, that he failed to notice he was running towards a cliff. He stopped at the edge, knowing there was only two ways for this to end - either he shot Shay before he came close, or he failed and allowed Shay to reach the perfect vantage point to kill him from above. He took aim and shot. It was a miss again. Shay, no doubt knowing Liam had to reload, leaped into the air.

It was over, then.

But Shay was not using his hidden blade. He pounced with his bare hands outstretched, as if they were simply training and were trying to mock-assassinate each other. Liam had managed several "kills" over the years, but Shay had yet to get him even once... until now. His fist contacted with Liam's chest, right where his heart was. Still, his blade remained hidden.

Liam acted on instinct and pushed Shay back, but Shay held fast and grab his wrist, forcing him to point his pistol away. The earth gave a great tremor, and suddenly they were falling. When Liam hit the ground again, he could no longer move. Beside him, Shay was slowly crawling up, clearly in pain but very much alive.

"That was... lucky," gasped Liam, because there was nothing else he could say. Shay had got him and had stayed his hand. No, the bastard hadn't even been trying to kill him, but only to disarm him. Somehow, Liam wasn't too surprised.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Liam?" said Shay. "I make my own luck."

"And how'd you do that, you bastard?" said Liam. He could taste blood in his mouth and it was getting harder to breathe. "You... broke the Assassins. Betrayed everyone you knew. You sided with... our worst enemies, and for what?"

"To save the world," answered Shay without hesitation, his face determined.

It was then that Liam finally understood why Shay looked different, and how he managed to almost single-handedly destroy the Brotherhood when he hardly even wanted to train before. For the first time since Liam had met him, Shay was taking his work seriously. And the reason was clear - he believed in what he was doing. He truly believed he was making the world a better place and his eyes reflected a conviction so strong that it sent a chill down Liam's spine. To think it was the Templars who managed to do this...

Liam let out a bitter laugh as blackness closed in on him. He was right; Shay would have made an excellent Assassin, if only he could find it in himself to believe in the Creed. Too late now. Shay had made his choice, and whatever kind of world he thought he was making with the Templars, Liam had no place in it. He could only hope his old friend knew what he was doing.

With the last of his energy, Liam reached into his robe and took out the manuscript, handing it back to Shay. "I hope that world... is a good one."


End file.
